(en) From a Syrian anarchist - Sat, 28/07/2012

Date
Thu, 16 Aug 2012 16:41:31 +0300

I am Mazen***, a Syrian anarchist . I want to inform you about the difficult humanitarian
situation in my country, Syria ; due to the brutal oppression of the regime against the
revolting masses. A group of young Syrian anarchists and anti – authoritarians from Aleppo
– Syria, contacted me asking for urgent help. Their community is in urgent need for
everything : medical drugs , tents , children milk , etc; almost everything. We hope that
you can help them to alleviate the sufferings of Syrians in these difficult days. -- About
the actual situation in Syria, it is deteriorating rapidly. After the killing of the some
high rank generals of the regime (defense minister and his deputy , which is at the same
time the brother – in – law of the president himself ) by unknown force, even that the
Syrian free army claimed responsibility for the attack ; the armed opposition groups
attacked the two main cities , which were reluctant to join the revolution before :
Damascus and Aleppo.

A fierce battle started , after some early gains of the opposition forces, the Assad army
gathered its remaining forces and started a counter attack using his available
conventional forces including jet fighters , beside canons and tanks that he was using
since months ago. Many civilians had to flee in very harsh conditions, hundreds massacred.

In fact , the Syrian revolution is caught now in an open armed fighting. The peaceful
demonstrations lost their significance now, and almost nobody bother to mention them or
think they can have real impact on the outcome of the struggle . what started as a
spontaneous mass revolution has become an armed struggle between the regime army and its
armed opponents. This happened mainly due to the brutal oppression of the regime, using
its army, its tanks and guns against civilian neighborhoods , but also because of the
intervention of tyrannies like Saudi and Qatari monarchies.

Due to the strategic position of Syria, the revolution was caught in Iran – Saudi rivalry
for regional domination, and even between Russia and US , each supporting one part , but
only for the sake of their own interests : we can't believe that the Saudi monarchy bother
about the freedom of the Syrian people , they just want to weaken their opponent : The
Iranian Islamist oppressive regime. Saudi Arabia and Qatar did all they can to divert the
Syrian revolution into sectarian struggle between Sunni and Shiaa sects of Islam ,
cynically , the Syrian regime did the same.

Just recently an influential Saudi journalist described the Arab spring ( this term is
used to describe the sequence of Arab revolutions) as a Sunni spring that threatened shiia
Iran. The other competing camp of oppressed regimes are using sectarianism for their sake
also. The Syrian regime is trying to do the same by promoting himself as the "protector of
religious minorities" in Syria .

We saw it very differently, we saw it as it happened and as it started, a spontaneous mass
revolution against dictatorships and their neo – liberal policies and "reforms", and in
this difficult moment for the masses; we count on the masses, on the oppressed, from every
religion , sect , or ethnicity to unite against their oppressors, whatever their religion.
We count on organizations like our comrades from Aleppo and other initiatives done by
young students and some workers. It is a difficult struggle that could descend into
sectarian civil war, and there is no guarantee but the masses' determination (and ours) to
continue the struggle for real freedom and justice , for free self – organization of the
oppressed .

In fact , there is very big divisions now in the Arab and Syrian left : the Stalinists
stood beside the regime as an "anti–imperialist" regime ; as usual , they can neglect the
oppressive nature of the regime , it is so natural for them . There are three Syrian
"communist" parties , supporting the regime fully very shamelessly . Other prominent
Stalinist parties in Arab countries support the regime also. On the other side Trotskyites
stood against such regimes but they see Islamists as a possible "allies" is such struggles
, denying the reactionary, authoritarian and capitalist , even the neo – liberal, nature
of the Islamists ' project. This is so true for Egypt where Trotskyites had strong
organization: Revolutionary socialists.

Another thing, brothers, I am going back to Syria this august in order to join the
struggle of our comrades and masses. Some Syrian activists organized a campaign named WE
ARE COMING BACK . We will enter Syria in August from *****. It is expected that the regime
will arrest us, and they could torture some of us, or even kill some. I might need your
solidarity that time. Some comrades might update you about such developments when it
happen. For the time being I am still in *****, Egypt. If you can arrange any support for
our comrades inside Syria you can contact me here till that time, and before leaving to
Syria; I can give you contact details of our comrades inside Syria or some Egyptian
comrades here to send your contributions to. Thanks a lot for your solidarity.